Nurser



F. E." BOSTON Jan. 1953 NURSER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 5, 1949ylll/yll l a' JNVENTOR: FRANK E. BosToN W w T A F. E. BOSTON Jan. 6,1953 NURSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5 1949 JNVENTOR." FRANK E.BosToN ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED 'STATE'S PATENT OFFICENURSER corporationof Ohio Application July 5 1949, Serial No. 103, 089

This invention per'tains to infant fee'ding equipment and moreparticularly to a nurser for the liquid feeding of suckling babies.

It is the principal object of the invention 'to provide such a nurserwhich will approxifnate as closely as possible to natural feeding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nurser which can bemaintained clean, sterile, and sanitary with a minimum of efiort.

Another object of the invention is to provide a nurser that will notleak either in storage, transport or use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a nurser which willbe rugged, strong, and durable,

A further object of the invention is to provide a nurser which is easyto assemble, readily stored, and Conveniently used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the nurser showing it assembledready for use, but without any liquid therein.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l showing the nurser partiallyfilled with liquid and illustrating the position of the nipple flangeduring air intake.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of nurseremploying an open bottomed vessel or semi-container and a non-ventednipple and illustrating the assembly of the nurser for storage andtransport.

Figures 4 and 7 are plan views of the seal disc and nipple retainingcap.

Figures 5 and 6 are sections through the seal disc on lines 6-6 and 5--5of Figure 4.

Figure :8 is a side View of a further modified form of nurser accordingto the invention employing a threaded cu instead of a container orsemi-container.

Figure 9 is a side View of a roll of sterile bags used in the invention.

Figure 10 is a section through a nipple on the line lO-l of Fgure 8.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a nurser comprising a rigidco'ntainer or bottle lt that is preferably made of a strong transparentheat and milk resistant material such as glass. The bottle is onlyslightly necked down at the top leaving a wide mouthed opening I I. Thetop' of the bottle is circular in cross-section and is provided with ascrew thread [2 on its outer surface. The top edge or lip !3 of thebottle is 2 smooth and flat. Just bene'ath the thread '12 on the outsideof the 'bottle there is an annular guard fiange 14.

Within the bottle li) is 'disposed a coll'apsible container or bag Zi)that is preferably made of a milk and watertight strong, transparent,heat and milk resistant material such as a synthetic resin. The bottomedge of the bag is sealed at 21. The open top of the bag is turned backover 'the top of the bottle as shown at 22. The diameter of the bag whenthe bag is in circular shape 'is just great enough to fit snu'gl'y overthe thread on the top of the bottle. If the material has a low modulusof lasticity, that is, in lay language it is fairly elastic, it may havean uns'tressed diameter a little less than that of the bottle top 's'othat it can be stretched to fit over the thread and pull itself intoclose engagement with it. However, even with material having a lowmodulus the unstretched perimeter of the bag will usually be a littlegreater than the inner perimeter of the opening in the top of the bottleso that there will be a few axial wrinkles in the bag o'n the inside asshown at 23. Preferably, however, there should be no such wrinkles onthe outside, the bag conforming closely to the bottle.

The top of the nurser is provided with a nipple 35 held in place by ascrew cap 31. The screw cap, also shown in Figure 7, has a circular hole32 in its top through which protrudes the end of the nipple. The tip endof the nipple is perforated at 33. The base of the nipple is providedwith a fiange 34 adapted to rest on the mouth of the bottle 'on top ofthe turned back top of the bag. Radially inward a short distance fromthe inner edge of the bag and bottle top are one or more air vents 35,t. As shown in Figure l, the vents are normally closed at their tops bythe cap 3l.

The cap 31 has a downturned annular fiange 31 having an internal thread38 which engages the thread on the bottle top to hold the cap in place.When the cap is screwed all the way on it makes a water and milk andairtight seal with the bottle top and the edge of the nipple, the rubbernipple and the plastic bag serving as gaskets. The bottom edge of thecap is near the guard fiange M so that the edge of the bag extendingbeyond the cap is protected against tearng. The cap 3! extends radiallyinto a'n annular groove 39 in the nipple near the base, the grooveforming an overhanging shoulder 40 which prevents the nipple from beingpu'shed 'in'-' side out into the bottle and bag. A plurality of lugssuch 'as that shown at 4! (sea also, -Figur'e 2,624,4s r r projectingdownwardly from the under side of the shoulder keep the shoulder spacedfrom the top of the cap leaving passages for air to enter under theshoulder.

In Figure 2 the nurser is shown with the bag containing liquid. Theweight of the liquid causes the bottom of the bag to assume the shapeshown. The nipple shown in Figure 2 is in the position it assumes when apartial vacuum has been created in the nurser due to removal of liquidtherefrom. The outside air pressure causes the nipple fiange to stretchinwardly slightly at the point just below the cap. The inward motion isfacilitated by the reduction of thickness of the ange immediatelyadjacent the body of the nipple as shown by the annular grooves 42, 43.The flexure of the flange uncovers the vents 35 and 36. This admits airto the nurser along the path indicated by the arrow starting in underthe shoulder, then around the inner edge of the cap, and finally throughthe vents. As shown by the bubbles, all or some of the air also travelsthrough the liquid in the bottle depending on the angle at which thebottle is placed. As soon as enough air has been admitted to equalizethe inner and outer pressures the nipple flange returns to its initialposition and the cap seals the vents to prevent leakage of the liquid inthe bag.

Referring now to Figure 3 there is shown a modified form of nurser. Thebottle 50 is generally the same as bottle o except the bottom thereof isopen as shown at 5l. The nipple 52 is the same as nipple 30 except thatit has no vents in the fiange thereof. Due to the fact that the bag 20is fiexible it will partially collapse as the contents thereof arewithdrawn, the open bottom 5| of the bottle maintaining the interior ofthe bottle at atmospheric pressure. Therefore with this Constructionthere is no need for vents in the nipple. As fast as the fluid iswithdrawn from the bag the bag collapses under the external pressurepreventing any partial vacuum from being built up therein.

In Figure 3 the nurser is shown assembled in position for transport orstorage. The nurser of Figures 1 and 2 Will be assembled in the same wayfor storage and transport and the nurser of Figure 3 will be assembledas shown in Figures 1 and 2 for use.

In Figure 3 the nipple 52 is inverted, the perforated tip thereofextending into the bottle. A seal disc 53, also shown in Figures 4, 5and 6, is placed on top of the nipple beneath the cap 3l. The disc has acylindrical extension 54 extending therebeneath which bears against theinner edge of the nipple fiange and prevents the leakage of fluid fromthe nurser that might otherwise occur. The annular grooves 42 and 43 inthe nipple fiange facilitate the creation of a slight pressure againstthe bottom of the seal disc due to the downward stretching of the nipplewithout pulling the nipple fiange out from between the disc and the lipof the bottle.

As best shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the seal disc is provided with anannular rib 55 rising from the top thereof. This rib fits inside of andclosely adjacent the walls of the opening 32 in the cap so as to centerthe disc. Inside the rib there is a slight depression 56 in the top ofthe disc into the cylindrical extension 54 on the bottom. Across thisdepression extends a finger tab 51 with which the disc may be handled.When it is desired to use the nurser the cap is unscrewed and held inone hand upside down. Then the disc and nipple are lifted together withthe fingers placed at the outer edge of the disc and nipple fiange anddropped into the cap so that the tip of the nipple extends through theopening 32 therein. This leaves the disc in the cap on top of theflange. By grasping the tab 51 the disc can be used to push the shoulder40 of the nipple through the cap until it expands again after passingthrough and the nipple is locked in the cap. The fact that the groove 39is wider than the thickness of the cap 38' by the height of the bags 4lnot only leaves an air space thereunder, which is important for theoperation of the Figure 1 embodiment of the invention, but alsofacilitates the passage of the shoulder through the opening since theshoulder can flex more easily between the lugs. After the nipple hasbeen locked in the cap the cap can be screwed back on to the bottle andthe nurser is ready for use.

In Figure 8 there is shown a further modification of the invention. Thenurser of Figure 8 is in all respects similar to that of Figure 3 exceptthat in place of the bottomless semi-container of Figure 3 there isprovided merely a threaded cuf 60 for connecting the plastic bag to thenipple. A somewhat heavier weight of plastic bag may be used in thismodification since there is no bottle to support the bag while instorage or protect it while in use. The threaded cuff, however, doeskeep the end of the bag from being torn and the nipple from being pulledoff the bag, the same as in the other forms of the invention, andoccupies less space.

Figure 9 shows a roll of fiattened plastic tubing 6l having equallyspaced seal areas 62, 63 thereacross. When a new bag is needed for anurser the roll is cut close to the seal next to the one nearest the endthereof, for example along the line 64 in the drawing. This provides aplastic bag closed at one end, by the seal 62 in the example given. Thenext seal 63 keeps the remainder of the roll closed and hence clean andready for use. After each use of the nurser the empty plastic bag isdiscarded and a new sterile bag cut from the roll. In this way it isunnecessary to wash and sterilize the bottle itself after each use. Thebottle or semi-container or threaded cuff, however, provides a strongleakproof means for readily securing the bag to the nipple andprotecting it in use and storage.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention and the two modificationsthereof have been shown and. described, it is obvious that many othermodifioations can be made by one skilled in the art. It is intended toprotect by Letters Patent all forms of the invention falling within thescope of the following claim.

I claim:

A nurser comprisin a liquid container made of a thin tube of uniformthickness throughout and made of exible material of relativelyinextensible as distinguished from rubberlike quality having a uniformperipheral length at transverse sections thereof and closed at one endand open at the other, an annular member having a helical thread formedon its outer periphery at the top end thereof, said container passingthrough said member with the open end of the tube folded back over thetop and threaded exterior of said member, said member being untapered onits external surface from the bottom of the screw threaded part thereofall the way to the top of the member, said peripheral length oftransverse sections of said container when unstressed being greater thanthe inner ci'cumference of the top end of said member and substantiallythe same as the outer circumference of the threaded part of said member,a nipple having a flange resting upon the open end of the tube where itpasses over the top of said member; and a cap compr'sing a disc having acentral opening and depending skirt spaced outwardly from said opening,said skirt having an internal helical thread of slightly greaterdiameter than correlative parts of the thread on said member to providea siight clearance therebetween sufiicient to accommodate said tube,said cap being screwed onto said member over said tube and the fiange ofsaid nipple clamping the fiange between the tube and the cap in sealingengagement, the thread of said cap meshing with that of said memberthrough said tube to secure and seal said tube to said member.

FRANK E. BOSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

